​JPMorgan silences voicemail for 136,000 workers

Updated on: June 2, 2015 / 6:25 PM
/ AP

NEW YORK - For JPMorgan Chase (JPM) employees, it might be best not to leave a message.

JPMorgan has ended voicemail services for roughly half of its roughly 136,000 consumer bank employees, in an effort to save money and in recognition that voicemail is slowly being replaced by text messages and emails.

Chase is one of a small, but growing number of large employers who have reevaluated the need for office voicemail. Coca-Cola (KO) gave employees the option to get rid of voicemail late last year.

The Chase employees who no longer have voicemail are those who do not work directly with customers, such as in information technology or operations. In some company departments that only interact with other bank employees, as many as 90 percent of employees no longer have voicemail, JPMorgan Chase spokesman Michael Fusco said.

However, employees who work directly with customers still have and will continue to have voicemail.

Voicemail has been a ubiquitous part of the office since the 1990s, but is being slowly phased out as more employees choose to communicate by email and mobile phones. Keeping unused voicemail accounts open for employees can add up to a significant cost for large employers like JPMorgan, which has roughly 241,000 workers across all its businesses.

Getting rid of voicemail will save the bank $3.2 million a year, Fusco said.